Spotify’s latest update is visibly changing the audio streaming service to improve the experience for your eyeballs, rather than your ears. Spotify Mix — the company’s new bespoke typeface — is being rolled out starting today, replacing the Circular typeface variant that Spotify currently uses across its app and desktop experiences.
The confusing name is an homage to the “dynamic and evolving nature of audio culture over the years,” according to Spotify’s global head of brand design, Rasmus Wängelin. Spotify Mix was developed in collaboration with Berlin-based foundry Dinamo Typefaces, with Wängelin saying the new variable font design is “quite literally, a remix” born from merging elements from a variety of different typeface styles.
“The result is a sans-serif typeface that blends features from both classic and contemporary styles, creating a distinctive and unique look,” says Wängelin in Spotify’s press release. “We subtly incorporated the shapes of sound waves to evoke a rhythmic feel. The combination of sharp angles and smooth curves gives the typeface a distinctive character that feels quintessentially Spotify.”
The company intends to use Spotify Mix on everything from playlists to marketing campaigns. Because this is a variable font — which basically means things like weight, width, slant, and other variables can be changed without requiring separate files — it should be super easy for Spotify to customize. That provides some creative flexibility, allowing things like playlist covers, promos, and other content to appear more varied while still sharing a cohesive design.
The wordmark in Spotify’s logo will also be updated to the new typeface, which can already be seen on the company’s news portal. Languages with Latin-based scripts and written content in Vietnamese will be the first to use Spotify Mix, which is gradually rolling out “over the coming weeks.”